In which Stan and Francine work through some things on a Log Flume

We’ve been here before haven’t we? Not just on American Dad! but almost every sitcom. One partner is incredibly selfish and if this were anything but a sitcom, there would be no way this couple would be together. But hey as long as the jokes are good and the plot is interesting, then we’re good. It’s just the way of the world. And hey, today’s AD! really delivers, at least in this amateur reviewer’s opinion.

Stan and Francine are attending therapy (from an unlicensed CIA employee), where Francine tries to get Stan to connect with her instead of work. The fake therapist suggests doing something Francine wants, which this week is the Log Flume ride. She is an enthusiast, and is a frequent poster on an online message board, the titular Flume Flume Room. Stan accompanies her but is still distracted by work. Eventually Francine disappears and Stan is desperate to find her.

He logs onto the Flume Flume Room and discovers that Francine has been messaging with a mysterious man, Logthario. Klaus suggests that Francine is having an emotional affair with this man so Stan has to track him down. He discovers that E. Carmack Dufresne created an epic Flume Ride, the Row-An-Oak. Using CIA technology he finds out it is located in Montana and runs off to find Francine.

Stan tracks Francine down but it turns out she is just worried about Logthario who hasn’t logged on in a while. She really wants to connect with Stan but he won’t do it. In what is a refreshingly honest and touching bit in the show, the two open up and connect again. And then they find Logthario who is trapped in the Flume ride, trying to avoid the long drop to death. Stan and Francine eventually brave the long ride up and the long drop down. There they meet E. Carmack Dufresne, who has survived this whole time, hoping someone would come down the flume ride. Stan takes a picture of the picture and the Smiths post it on The Flume Flume Room.

The B-plot sees the rest of the family dealing with a new Roger persona, Van Donnegan Dietz. He receives a notice in the mail from the bank who asks him about a safety deposit box. This leads him on a search for the key first rifling through stuff in the house, then to a retirement home where he finds the key. He gets to the bank where he discovers a 45 of the flume ride final song, providing a nice intersecting of plots.

Stray Observations

• The fake therapist is voiced by Mary Steenburgen and is married to Doctor Ray, voiced by Ted Danson. A nice nod to the real life married couple.
• “Is that the sex bell?”
• No opening credits this week but we get a nod to it seeing Stan’s SUV crashed into the flagpole during the therapy session.

Final Thoughts: A really fantastic episode all around. Somehow it makes a possibly stale plot about Francine and Stan’s marriage becomes a somewhat emotional, always funny episode.